City and County Announce Complete Count Committee for 2020 Census

SAN ANTONIO (April 1, 2019) – The City of San Antonio and Bexar County have joined efforts to establish the San Antonio/Bexar County Complete Count Committee. The Complete Count Committee is a volunteer group focused on engaging and educating the community on the importance of self-responding for the 2020 Census. The Committee’s goal will be to achieve a complete and accurate count of all San Antonio and Bexar County residents.

“It would be difficult to overstate the importance of a complete and accurate count in the 2020 Census,” Mayor Ron Nirenberg said. “The census determines the allocation of hundreds of millions of dollars for essential federal programs in San Antonio as well as Texas’s clout in Congress. A complete count is as crucial as it gets.”

The census count determines the allocation of approximately $675 billion annually in federal funding for federal programs and the redistricting of congressional seats. According to the George Washington Institute of Public Policy ‘Counting for Dollars’ report, an undercount of Texas’ population by even 1% could result in at least a $300 million loss of federal funding. It is estimated that 25% of Bexar County’s residents are not likely to self-respond and are at risk of being missed by the 2020 Census.

“With rapid growth reaching into every corner of the County and into our suburban cities, it is more important than ever to get a complete and accurate count so that we can get the resources we need,” said Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff. “Bexar County is proud to have appointed individuals with trusted relationships within the community to promote the importance of the 2020 Census.”

The Complete Count Committee will utilize the local knowledge, expertise and influence of each member to implement a census awareness campaign to encourage all residents to respond, particularly those in census tracts at risk of being undercounted.

“Community voices and insights are critical, especially for the 2020 Census,” said Celina Pena, Chief Advancement Officer at LiftFund and Co-Chair of the Complete Count Committee. “The Complete Count Committee members will serve as trusted voices to mobilize all residents of our community to be counted in the census. The Complete Count Committee will work with providers, leaders, and community organizations to focus census outreach to ensure we get a complete and accurate count for San Antonio and Bexar County.”

Today’s announcement marks one year until the 2020 Census, a perfect time to raise awareness about the importance of ensuring all our residents are counted.

“As in past census work, we will work to reach all residents through communication, education and building trust, with an emphasis on reaching the historically undercounted and underrepresented populations,” said Rebecca Q. Cedillo, Community Impact Officer at University Health Systems and Co-Chair of the Complete Count Committee. “Every person in Bexar County counts and, without their participation in the 2020 Census, we face the risk of losing federal dollars that will benefit everyone who lives here. So let’s all work together to make it trusted, approachable and make it complete, for future generations to gain.”